Miches

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Miches's Community News

Coronavirus (COVID-19) impact on World Vision operations

In support of public health recommendations outlined by the World Health Organization, some sponsorship program activities have been temporarily suspended due to COVID-19. Activities may include sponsor queries and correspondence, sponsor visits, gift notifications and gift deliveries. These temporary suspensions may affect the information you receive from us in the coming weeks and months. Learn more about our response to COVID-19.

Thanks to the generous support of donors, we’re making great progress toward the well-being of children and their families. These are a few of the areas we focused on in the past year:

Miches (pronounced meech-is) is a small community of 21,000 people on the east coast of the Dominican Republic. It is one of the most impoverished areas in the Caribbean. Miches stretches across the El Seibo mountain range. It contains multiple rivers, tropical forests, white sand beaches, and a protected coastal lagoon. Nearly half the people in Miches live in rural areas.

Most families depend on agriculture and fishing to earn a living, and the only industry in the community is a water-bottling company. More than half the population is younger than 20 years old. Infrastructure is a major challenge to the community, with 43% of residents lacking access to safe drinking water and 39% lacking regular electricity in their homes. The majority of roads are almost impassable as well.

Hurricane Irma: Updates and facts you need to know Hurricane Irma has begun moving through the Caribbean and is expected to lash the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba, southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos with life-threatening wind, storm surges and heavy rain starting Wednesday night and lasting into Friday morning.

Hurricane Irma is a Category 5 storm and now ranks among the most powerful hurricanes ever recorded.

World Vision is deeply concerned about the impact this major hurricane could have on children living in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, which are among the poorest countries in Latin America. Tens of thousands of children are living in flimsy shacks that are likely to be damaged and destroyed by powerful winds and rain.

What is World Vision Doing to prepare for Hurricane Irma?
World Vision is in communication with community networks to stay updated on damage and on the status of sponsored children, so we can respond quickly.

World Vision is prepositioning basic food and hygiene items to meet the needs of affected families and to ensure that affected children are secure and supported through child-friendly spaces.

Hurricanes of this magnitude can be especially frightening and traumatic for children, and we are working to protect both their physical and psychosocial needs.

How is World Vision responding to Hurricane Irma? World Vision has relief supplies pre-positioned to assist in responding to the needs of those affected after the storm passes. Supplies include:

Hygiene kits

Sawyer water filters

Bed sheets

Mosquito nets

Jerry cans

Dry food

About your sponsored child If you would like more information about your sponsored child, please call our toll-free Hurricane Irma emergency line at 1-800-654-2650.

Child Protection

19 community partners from the public, private and not-for-profit sectors worked with World Vision over the past year, improving the lives of children.

Education

17 reading clubs have been started for boys and girls, helping to improve their literacy and reading habits.

25 reading materials are now available for are now available for children in structured learning environments.

Explore Miches

current conditions

The needs in Miches

Education
Children in Miches face many obstacles to a good education. Often, parents who did not finish school do not value education for their children. Many parents remove their children from school so they can work. Although there are 28 schools, only 20% of the population has completed primary school and almost a quarter of the population is illiterate.

Fewer than half the children in Miches attend classes, and there are high rates of grade repetition and dropouts. There is a high incidence of teen pregnancy among uneducated girls. Many young people feel they have no future in Miches, and attempt dangerous, illegal sea crossings to Puerto Rico in search of a better life.

Health Care
Poor hygiene practices, inadequate sanitation, and unsafe drinking water have caused health problems such as typhus, measles, conjunctivitis, and intestinal parasites. Miches is prone to hurricanes and tropical storms. Flash floods and landslides contaminate the water supply and spread preventable diseases.

Parents are uneducated about basic health measures and nutrition, and lack skills to prevent or identify diseases in children. Many children are malnourished and do not receive timely care. HIV and AIDS are a health concern, and the prevalence rate is rapidly increasing among young women. Health centres are unable to respond properly to these needs due to lack of equipment and trained staff.

Economic Development
Finding steady work is a major challenge for people in Miches. Most people earn a living from subsistence agriculture and fishing. Only 36% of men and 15% of women report having a job. Many people migrate to urban areas in hope of better opportunities. There are few initiatives to generate income, a pronounced gender gap, and a lack of training in marketable skills that would help people set up small businesses. As a result, people often feel hopeless. Of those who stay in Miches, more than half have informal jobs that do not offer stable or sufficient income.

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